Overloading stabilizer



y 2, 1951 R. TUCK ET AL 2,553,689"

OVERLOADING STABILIZER Filed Nov. 3, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTORS.RALPH TUCK THOMAS E. HUGHES BY ARTHUR LJ- RIGBY ATTORNEYS May 22, 1951R. TUCK ET AL OVERLOADING STABILIZER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 3, 1947INVENTO RS R AL P H T UCK T H OMAS E. H LJGHELS m E 6 R V m R A u H v TPatented May 22, 195i OVERLOADING STABILIZER Ralph Tuck, Oakland, ThomasE. Hughes, Berkeley, and Arthur U. Rigby, San Leandro, Calif.

' Application November 3, 1947, Serial No. 783,658 7 7 An object of ourinvention is to provide an overloading stabilizer which differs somewhatin'construction from. the, overloading stabilizer application of RalphTuck, filed. August12, 1947, Ser. No. 768,092, now abandoned." In thecopending application an overloading stabilizer spring is shown with acoiled portion and integral arms extending from the coil whic'h 'areprovided with cylindrical ends The axis of each cylindrical end extendsat right angles to the longitudinal axis of the adjacent arm portion. Ahanger is provided for each cylindrical end and receives the end and theadjacent arm portion. Within the hanger two sockets made of rubberreceive the cylindrical end and provide a support between this endandthe hanger. The hangers in turn' are secured to the'wheel assemblyand to the vehicle "body.

In the present case the coiled spring is provided with upper and lowerintegral arms, the upper arm being provided with a spherical head whichis received in a hanger. The lower arm has its end formed into an eyeportion through which a bolt is passed for aiding in anchoring the eyein a second hanger, the bolt serving the additional function of securinga cover to the hanger. Novel means is provided for furnishing aresilient connection between the bolt and the eye. j

The device is simple in construction and can be readily attached toanautomobile or other vehicle. The overloading stabilizer spring aids thevehicle springs in supporting thefload and at the same time it tends tofunction as a snubber and also as ameans for'preventing any swayingmotion between the vehicle body and the supporting wheels" Other objectsand advantages will appear in the following specification, and thenovelfeatures of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims";

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming apartof this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a front, elevation of the device shown attached to thechassis of a vehicle body and the leaf sprin g.,suppqrt-.-for thevehicle wheel;

Figure 2 is a front elevationbf he upper hanger shown on an enlargedscale'j' Figure 3 is a horifiiital section taken along the line III-IIIof Figure} Figure 4 is a transversesection taken along the line IV-IV ofFigure 3;}

Figure 5 is an enlarged viewfof the lower hanger with the cover plateremoved;

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken along the line VI-VI of Figure 5;and

Figure '7 is a horizontal section taken along the line VIIVII of Figure6.

; a'olaimsf (01. 267-26) While we have shown only the preferred form ofour invention, it should be understood that various changes ormodifications may be made within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. V

In carrying out our invention, we make use of a vehicle that has achannel iron A for supporting the vehicle body, not shown, and an axlehousing B that is connected to the channel A by a leaf spring 0 in theusual manner. The spring is secured to the axle housing by U-bolts i andthe axle housing rotatably supports a vehicle wheel indicated generallyat D. The parts thus far described form no part of our invention, exceptin so far as they cooperate with parts now to be described.

The overloading stabilizer spring has a coiled portion E and upper andlower integral arms El and E2, respectively. We will first describe themounting of the upper arm to the vehicle body, after which we will setforth the mounting of the lower arm to the vehicle wheel assembly.

.The upper arm has a spherical head shown at 2 in Figure 3 and this headis integral with the arm. The spherical head and the adjacent portion ofthe arm are received in an upper hanger, indicated generally at F. Thehanger comprises a casing 3 that has an open end 4 that is closed by acover plate Fl. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the casing as being providedwith three lugs 5 arranged in the manner shown and these have threadedopenings 6 for receiving cap screws 1. The cover Fl has lugs 8 arrangedin the samemanner as the lugs 5 and overlying them. The lugs 8 haveopenings 9 that are aligned with the threaded openings 6 so that theshanks of the screws 1 can be passed through the aligned openings forsecuring the cover to the casing.

Figure 4 clearly shows the wall ll) of the easing provided with a slotll and this slot receives the arm El. A projection I2 is carried by thecover Fl and extends at right angles to the plane of the cover. Thisprojection extends into the slot l l for a short distance and cooperatestherewith to form an opening through which the upper arm El extends.

Within the casing 3 we dispose a rubber socket GI and this socket has ahemispherical recess l3"for receiving one-half of the spherical head 2.A semicylindrical recess It extends from the recess l3 and receives thespring arm El, while permitting a certain amount of movement betweenthis arm and the wall In. A second socket made of rubber and indicatedat G2 is placed in the interior of the casing 3 and has a hemisphericalrecess l5 for receiving the other portion of the spherical end 2. Asemicylindrical recess l6 extends from the recess l5 and terminates atthe inner end of the lug I3, see Figure 3.

The inner and outer rubber sockets GI and G2 just described are madeslightly larger than the compartment in the hanger and are :compressedwhen the cover Fl is secured to the casing. The compression issufiicient to hold the. spherical head firmly in the upper hanger Fwhile permitting a certain amount of relative movement between thespring arm El and the hanger during the normal use of the device on thevehicle.

The hanger may be secured to the veh-icle body in any manner desired andwe have shown one of the wheels of the casing 3 welded to an anglemember H, the weld being indicated at I! in Figure 1. The angle memberis secured to the channel A in any manner desired, such as by a bolt 18.The horizontal portion of the angle H may be bent back on itself asshown at l9 and a set screw 20 may be used for securing this portion tothe channel.

The means for supporting the lower spring arm E2 to the lower hanger Jis shown in Figures 5 to 7, inclusive. The lower hanger has a casing 2!with a compartment therein and one wall of the casing indicated by thereference numeral 22 is slotted at 23 for receiving the lower spring armE2. The lower spring arm has a flattened end portion formed into a,cylinder to provide an eye 24. The opening in the eye receives a metalsleeve 25 and this sleeve encloses a rubber sleeve 26. Within the rubbersleeve we mount an inner metal sleeve 21 and the latter receives theshank 2B of a fastening bolt K, see Figure 7. The head 29 of the boltbears against the outer surface of the casing 2| and the shank passesthrough an opening in the casing and an aligned opening 30 provided in acover J l. A look washer 3'! and a nut 32 secure the cover to thecasing. Figure 6 illustrates the cover J i provided with a lug 33 thatenters a predetermined distance into the slot 23 .provided in the wall.22.

An inner socket of rubber Ll is placed in the casing compartment and hasa shaped-recess 34 for receiving the eye 24 and the outer sleeve 2'5. Anouter rubber socket L2 is placed over the portion of the eye 24 thatprojects beyond the inner socket and both sockets are compressed by themoving of the cover into closed position by the tightening of the bolt.

The lower hanger J may be secured to the wheel assembly in any mannerdesired. We have shown the hanger welded to a U-bolt 35, see Figure 5,and the U-bolt is. attached to the leaf spring 0 by a strap 36 and nuts31. The bolt K serves a dual function of holding the cover in closedposition while at the same time acting as a central anchor for the eye24. Any metallic noise between the eye and the bolt shank is preventedby the rubber sleeve 26 and therefore the spring arm E2 may be swungslightly relative to the lower hanger without causing any noise.

It is possible to have both the upper and lower spring arms E1 and E2provided with the spherical heads 2 or with the eye-shaped ends 24. Itis also possible to have the spherical head and the eye-shaped endreversed so far as Figure 1 is concerned. We do not wish to be confinedto the spherical head placed only on the upper arm El and the eye-shapedportion 24 placed only-on the lower arm E2.

Froiii the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood.

The coiled spizl'ng E wfllnid vehicle spring C in supporting theload ofthe vehicle body. At the same time the eye 24 will tend to prevent anytwisting of the lower arm E2 about the lon- -g}i'tud'mallanis portiondisposed adjacent to the lower hanger. 'Thecoil spring E will have asnubbing efiectior 'the vehicle spring C and therefore the vel iiclebody will move over the a gamewith iessjmation than would otherwiseoccur. The device also tends to prevent any swaying motion between thevehicle body and the supporting wheels.

We claim:

I. In a devicewtthe described, "a coil spring havinganfi'rrtegi'alarmw'ith an eye formed in the end thereof, 'a'jrianger having a slot forreceiving the amend acompartment for receivingthe'eye.'a'bolt carried"the hanger and extending through the eye, a rubber sleeve mounted onthe bolt and extending through the eye, rubbersockets-in.the-compartment and hav- 'ing recesses for the eye and bolt,and a cover forthe hanger am'lheld'in place by the bolt.

2; In a xlevicepf tlie type described, a coil spring havingan integralarm with an eye formed in the endthereot," ahangerhaving a slot 'forreeeivingthe arm and acompartment for receiving the eye,- a boltcarr'ied by the hanger and extending through the; eye, a rubber sleevemounted on theboit and extending through the eye, rubber'socketsumthecompartment and having-recesses for receiving eye and bolt, and a coverfor the hanger-and held in place by the bolt, said rubber sleeve beinglined internally with a. metal sleevefthat' contacts the bolt shank'andhaving an outer-metal sleeve that contacts with the inner surface ofthe eye.

3. In a. device offthettype described, a coil spring having an integralarm with a spherical head. on the free end thereot, means enclosing andsupporting saldihead on the frame of a vehicle, said means comprising acasing having oppositely disposed parallel- "sides. and ends, one ofsaid ends open one of said sides being provided with a slot extendingfrom said open end to a pointadjaoenli 'tothe opposite end, said 'openend and slot receiving the spherical head and arm respectively, rubbersockets in the easingsurmundihg saidhead, aIcover for the open endof.saidjcasmg aind -means for securing the cover to thecasib'efrcmnpressing the rubber sockets about the-head;

TUCKl ZIZHGMAS E. HUGHES.

RIGBY.

REFERENCES 'UITED The .i'ollowingreferences: moi-record in the file ofthis patent:

Pam's Number Name Date 1,976,258 'Hdlihi'gSWO'lfih.----...- Oct. 9, 19341,980,117 Turner Nov. 6, 1934 2,274,227 "Willard Feb. 24, 1942

